Monday, January 21, 2013

We left Green Cove
after working on the boat for two weeks installing a new shelf, solar panels
and bow roller extension among the many other chores to get the boat ready to
launch.

The trip
started out pleasant enough though for most of this trip the winds have been
from the wrong direction. Our first stop was Jacksonville Landing for the
night. In the morning we left with the tide and to get through the bridge
before it closed for the morning rush hour. The timing of the tide was spot on
and we rode the outgoing tide all the way to the intracoastal and then rode the
incoming tide and following outgoing tide though the intracoastal all the way
to St Augustine.

After spending a
couple days seeing St Augustine we again headed south using the tide to help us
along. Our next stop was Daytona Beach for the night and in the morning we
headed for Titusville. We planned a long run for the day and late that
afternoon we passed by Titusville and had a celebratory drink as we toasted
passing the farthest point south that Jeanne had reached the first year. We had
just enough time to make the next bridge before it closed for rush hour and
anchored off Cocoa Beach for the night. We planned to relax in Vero Beach so we
left at dawn for the next long run southwards.

Arriving late in the
afternoon we pumped out and topped up with fuel and water and went out to a
mooring and shut down the diesel. The water pump was leaking sea water onto the
battery and I needed to replace the seal. We planned to stay a few days in Vero
as the bus into town is free and stores are convenient for shopping and a beach
and shops is a short walk away. Our time is spent relaxing and meeting new
friends and shopping for necessities; and of course trinkets and gifts for the
grandkids. While there Vero Beach holds its annual Christmas Parade. I locate a
Volvo parts place in Ft Lauderdale on our last day there and arrange for a pump
rebuild kit for when we get to Ft Lauderdale. Just before we leave I find out
about another Volvo parts place in Vero Beach…

Our next
stop was Manatee Pocket close to a cousins Florida condo. And we arrange to
meet her for lunch while there. We met her for lunch and took her out to the
boat for a bit and said our good byes. In the morning were headed out to the
ocean for a long sail down to Ft Lauderdale. Unfortunately the winds were a
little too far forward to sail and we had to motor sail or tack out to the Gulf
Stream. After one tack we motor sailed the rest of the way and sailed into Fort
Worth and then motored down the Intracoastal an hour and anchored for the
night. The next day we did the bridge dance all the way to Fort Lauderdale and
the Las Olas Marina. We had arranged for parts for the leaky water pump to be
delivered there to affect repairs to it. We planned to spend three days there
relaxing and seeing the city. For smaller boats like ours the dockage was
almost as cheap as the moorings and much more convenient.

The repair
went quickly and the rest of the time was spent seeing sights and shopping. We
made plans to return and see the parade of lights when we were to pick up
friends, Jackie and Dave. We made friends with a couple on the boat next to us
who were living aboard and spent the winters down here. Bringing your own boat and
the dockage is much cheaper than renting a hotel for the winter, and in a much
nicer location.

After a few
days we moved on to Miami. Our next stop was South Beach, an area of upscale
shops and the haunt of the beautiful people. South beach is nice but a little
expensive and after a few days we were ready to move on but not until we’d
walked the beach and had a drink in a few of the trendy bars.

Next we
went to Coconut Grove where we had a little incident with a submerged pipe but
in the process made several new friends who helped in one way or another to affect
the repairs. By the time Jackie and Dave arrived the rudder shaft was straight
again with just some fiberglass work to be done to complete the repair. I can’t
thank the friends we now have enough for helping get us into sailing mode
again. We were soon on our way to the Bahamas and checked in at Bimini. I asked
for and got 120 days on the permit and the visitor’s visa. We spent 2 days in
Bimini and then headed out for the long overnight sail to Nassau arriving the
in the afternoon of the next day. Spending a few nights there to stock up on
supplies and watch the Junkanoo festival, an all-night parade and celebration
in a Mardi’s Gras way. It is a lot of noise and crowds and costumes and floats
with dancing and music.

A few days later we
headed out for Allen’s Cay where we would anchor and could dingy ashore to feed
the iguanas. In the morning we got an early start with our destination being
Big Major’s Spot where the previous year there was a new year’s party on the
beach. It didn’t happen this year but I made my banana bread anyways. Jackie
and Dave had to fly home new year’s eve but the flights were full from
Staniel’s so they left a day early an booked a room overnight in New
Providence. Flying in and out of these Islands is an adventure in itself as
Jeanne’s daughter Jennifer would find out soon enough.

After a few
days we headed to Black Point and the hospitality of Lorraine’s Café and
Scorpio’s Bar and happy hours. We planned to stay there until Jennifer and
Dylan arrived. The market there is small but there is a good Laundromat with
new coin showers and water available and other things to make the stay
pleasant.

Dylan Update

Well our
grandson just left in a taxi for George Town airport, they will be flying to
Nassau via Rock Sound and then on to Atlanta and Detroit. I hope the return is
less eventful than the trip out where a small ticketing snafu had them get off
at the wrong island. They were able to flag the plane back down and hop over to
the Black Point where we were waiting. For Dylan this was just another of
life’s new adventures and he made the best of it. For mom it was it was
slightly stressful but she also enjoyed the time we had, even with my phobia
about water and battery usage. The first stop was a few days in Black Point
where we met old friends and some new ones. Dylan made a few friends on the
other boats with kids on them and happy hour was a happy time for about a half
dozen kids. We took the dingy around the point to another island with an iguana
sanctuary and Dylan delighted in the little lizards although he didn’t get
overly close to them. What he did like was the “looky bucket” where we could
float over a reef and watch the sea life below. Ohh and Lorraine says hello to
all her friends and hopes to see them all again.

Our next stop was
Big Majors Spot with the swimming pigs. It was a delight to feed and watch the
pigs swimming in the sea and we had heard there were piglets though we didn’t
see them. The next day we went over to Staniel’s and swam in Thunderball Grotto
and fed the fish peas as they swarmed around us. On the sail from Black Point
to Big Majors Spot we had a dolphin swimming with the boat and Dylan was up on
the bow watching him until he tired of our slow boat and swam away. After two
nights there we headed south and joined up with three other boats with kids
aboard, and snorkeled on a small reef. Later we got together on Aileon for a
potluck dinner and let the kids play while we relaxed and talked.

The next
morning we headed out Rudder Cut on our way to George Town. The winds were
marginal for sailing south east and eventually we simply Motor sailed into a
tight reach and big waves. We passed through 4 rain squalls with winds up to 30
knots. We arrived at George Town and anchored off Stocking Island about
16:30.Dylan had a good three days to
relax, wade with the stingrays, play on the sandy beach, collect shells, check
out the huge starfish, play in the surf on the ocean side beach, meet again and
say goodbye to his new friends before they flew out at 06:00 Saturday morning.
The boat got much bigger and way quieter after they left. Everyone had a good
time.